


Crave

by TamaraKnight



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Gen, No Spoilers, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-19
Updated: 2004-06-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 02:10:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1626041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TamaraKnight/pseuds/TamaraKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Monica tries to replace one addiction with another.</p><p>~formatting issues fixed</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crave

**Author's Note:**

> Spoils the following ~ This Is Not Happening, Empedocles, Existence.
> 
> Written in June 2004.

X-FILES OFFICE, 12:24PM

Monica looked up at the clock, noticing the time she got out of her seat, tossing her lollipop stick into  
the bin before grabbing her coat off the hat stand near the door. John remained seated and followed Monica's every movement with his eyes. 

John enquired, "You going out for lunch?" as she was about to leave the office.

"Yeah I am, do you want anything bringing back?"

"My usual if you don't mind Mon."

Monica smiled at John. "Your usual of a BLT and large black coffee. I'll be back in and hour."

A few minutes passed before John got up and began searching for Monica's hidden stash of lollipops.

12:40PM

John pulled the filing cabinet as far away from the wall as it would go. He took a few moments to catch his breath before he looked down the back of it. "Not here either," he muttered.

Skinner knocked on the door and entered the office. "What isn't there?"

"The lollipops," John answered.

Skinner gave John a confused look. "Lollipops, Agent Doggett. At your age?"

John turned to face his boss. "They aren't mine. They're Monica's she's trying to quit smoking."

"Is she sucking on lollipops to replace the hand to mouth action of smoking a cigarette?" Skinner asked.

"Yes sir, she is."

"My ex-wife Sharon went through something similar when she quit smoking. The way that Monica sees lollipops  
the cure, Sharon saw gum as the cure. Effectively replacing one addiction with another."

John smiled at Skinner. "Sir, will you help me look for them? I know that they aren't behind the filing  
cabinets and I've looked up the ceiling panels."

"Yeah sure."

1:06PM

Exhausted from searching for Monica's stash of lollipops, John and Skinner collapsed into two nearby chairs. As they were catching their breath they were trying to figure out where they hadn't yet looked.

A few minutes passed before Skinner broke the silence. "Have you looked in either Monica or Mulder's work  
area?"

"No I never thought to look there."

Skinner smiled. "I hate to say it John, but they would have been the most obvious places to look."

John rose steadily to his feet, before walking across to Skinner's seat and helping him to his feet.

John said, "I'll check Monica's work area if you check Mulder's area."

Skinner walked across to Mulder's area and started rummaging through the mountains of paper spilling over  
the desk.

John tried the top draw of Monica's desk but it was locked. He rummaged through a small pile of paperwork  
and through the desk tidy for the keys but they weren't there.

"Interesting," Skinner mumbled.

"Interesting how sir?"

"The top drawer is locked and I can't find the keys."

"Monica's top drawer is locked too and there are no keys here either."

Skinner conceded, "So the lollipops could be in either."

"Or they could be in both sir."

"Yes John, they could well be in both, I'm going back upstairs."

"Bye sir, thank you for helping me to look."

"My pleasure John."

1:24PM

Monica stood in the doorway watching John for a few moments. "I’ve got your lunch. What the hell happened  
in here, it looks like a bomb site?"

John looked up from his game of pool. "Oh nothing much, I was just looking for something."

Monica placed the sandwich and coffee on John's desk.

John stood up and took her coat from her. He fumbled around in the pockets for the keys, they weren't there. Feeling defeated he hung the coat up.

"Looking for these?" Monica smiled mischievously, while dangling the desk keys from her pinky finger.

"Yeah I am. How did you know?"

"You want one of my lollipops John, admit it."

"Ok I'll admit it. I want them all it's for your own good."

Monica's eyes began welling up. "John you don't understand I NEED them for the CRAVINGS."

John placed his left hand on Monica's shoulder. "Look at me Mon."

A few moments passed before Monica looked at John.

"I'm only doing this to help you Mon. While you were out Skinner was telling me about his ex-wife and the  
cravings she had when she quit smoking."

Monica questioned John. "What did she do?"

"She had gum to replace the hand to mouth action of wanting a cigarette."

"That is what I'm doing John. Only I'm doing it with lollipops because they are reducing my cravings."

John smiled. "I'll help you beat the cravings. Make sure you don't crave another cigarette again."

"How do you plan to do that?" Monica asked.

"That's easy Mon. Cold turkey, it’s the only way to go. I'll be there every step of the way and beyond  
that too."

Monica chuckled. "Cold turkey John?"  
"You're making me sound like a heroin addict."

John brushed an errant strand of hair from Monica's face. "I didn't mean that your cravings are like those  
of an heroin addict. What I meant was that the cold turkey is the same no matter what the addiction."

Monica placed her hands on John's waist, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you John. I don't think I  
could do it without you."

"You could but it is better to have someone with you every step of the way.

Monica looked at John. "I'll get the lollies from the drawers."

"Drawers Mon?"

"Yeah I put them in both mine and Mulder's drawers. Dana said he wouldn't mind."

**Author's Note:**

> I found it odd that Monica was able to quit so easily and so quickly. I figured that she maybe had a way of replacing the cravings for cigarettes.


End file.
